Quarterly WASFAA Committee Report
Executive Council Meeting Date
November 17 and 18, 2011
Executive Council Meeting Location
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho
Committee Information
Committee Name
Graduate and Professional Issues
Chair(s) (Name, Place of Employment, State)
Mindy Bergeron, Chair, JFK University, Pleasant Hill, CA
Committee Members (Name, Place of
Employment, State, note new committee members
with ‘*’)
Andy Promsiri, Anderson School of Business, UCLA, CA
Ana Borjas, Southwest College of Naturopathic Med., AZ
Cynthia LaBLue, Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, WA
Jack Edwards, Graduate School of Business, Stanford, CA
Josie Melton, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, CA
Kathleen Koch, Seattle University School of Law, WA
Kevin Jensen, College of Western Idaho, ID
LaNae B Herrera, Claremont School of Theology, CA
Lynn Reed, AZ School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, AZ
Surinder L. Matharu, CSU Northridge, CA
Tami Sato, Southern Calif College of Optometry, Fullerton, CA
Committee Goals
Strategic Plan Goals that are being met (check all that apply)
Goal 1: Leader in providing training and professional development
X
Goal 2: Consolidate and communicate the public policy positions of aid
administrators
Goal 3: Collaborate and coordinate with other organizations and associations
X
Goal 4: Maintain and enhance the diversity of our membership and Executive
Council
Goal 5: Increase the participation of members in WASFAA activities
X
X
Goal 6: Maintain the long-term financial stability of WASFAA
Goal 7: Continually improve methods & processes for communicating with
X
member’s
Goal 8: Assess & monitor the performance of WASFAA & make strategic
adjustments
1. Contacted volunteers and established GPIC Committee
Specific Committee Goals (include progress
toward goals and measurement of success)
2.
3.
4.
members from different types of GP areas/disciplines, states
and vendors who work with GP schools and students.
Communicated current issues, proposals, and legislation that
affect GP students through EC reports, listserv messages and
will submit a future newsletter article.
Develop and present sessions at the 2012 WASFAA Annual
Conference that would have a GP Perspective.
Promote needs and issues of GP students and encourage
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Quarterly WASFAA Committee Report
5.
legislative advocacy for this student population.
Review and update GPIC resource webpage on WASFAA
website (still need to do)
Summary of Activities
1. Participate in NASFAA GPIC listserv to monitor national concerns
2. Attended GPIC interest sessions at NASFAA Conference in Boston
3. Sent messages to GPIC Listserve re: current concerns in order to solicit comments &
discussion. Current concerns to monitor –
a. In-school interest subsidies going away on Subsidized DL Loans for GP borrowers
beginning July 1, 2012
(This was by Rex Nutting from MarketWatch’s Washington based international commentary
editor.)
Quoted: “We want you in school. But we shouldn’t saddle you with debt when you’re starting
off. So that’s why, since taking office, we’ve made it a priority to make college more affordable,
reduce your student loan debt.” Barack Obama, University of CO, 10/26/2011
Reality: The president has a short memory. Less than three months ago, he signed a deficitreduction law that eliminated $22 billion in subsidies for graduate-student loans. That law could
increase the cost of college by thousands of dollars for some students.
The government could have continued those subsidies by paying for them with revenue from UG
student loans. The government makes money on student loans by borrowing money cheaply in
the bond markets (the current rate on a two-year note is o.3%) and then charging students an
interest rate of 3.4%, a rate that is scheduled to double to 6.8% next year.
Even with some borrowers defaulting, the loan program’s revenue exceeds expenses. Some of
those “profits” do finance scholarships and education grants, but billions are being used for deficit
reduction.
Despite the actions Mr. Obama took last week to reduce student-loan costs, students are still
paying more than necessary for college loans.
b. Verification – how will grad schools handle for students with DL unsubsidized-only
loans?
c. Perkins Loan program – future of?
d. New Gainful Employment Regulations – Has reporting and discosures had an
effect on graduate certificate programs, if any?
e. Obama’s recent proposals for DL – “special” DL consolidation; Income-Based
Repayment plan
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Quarterly WASFAA Committee Report
Budget Information
Approved Budget
-0-
Budget Expenditures to Date
Event Information (complete if applicable per location)
Event Name
Location
Date
Number
Cost of
Registration
Subtotal
Attendees
Complimentary Registrations (if
applicable – i.e., scholarship recipients)
Add more rows as needed for additional events.
Suggestions for Future Committee
Calendar of Events/Timelines
Date
Committee Member
Description
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Quarterly WASFAA Committee Report
Responsible (if
applicable)
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